(NEW YORK) — Millions of Americans woke up to the coldest air of the season on Tuesday morning.
Temperatures plummeted overnight as an arctic blast moved into the northeastern United States.
By morning, the wind chill — what temperature it feels like — had dropped near or below zero degrees Fahrenheit in several areas along Interstate 95, including Philadelphia, New York City and Boston. Meanwhile, parts of upstate New York and northern Maine were almost 30 or 40 below zero.
The frigid air produced blinding lake-effect snowbands in western New York and Pennsylvania. Up to 30 inches of snow fell in 24 hours near the tiny town of Osceola, New York, some 55 miles north of Syracuse.
As of Tuesday morning, the National Weather Service has issued alerts for wind chill and lake-effect snow in 10 U.S. states, from Wisconsin to Maine.
Temperatures are expected to warm up slightly in the afternoon, with numbers in the teens for Boston and New York City, though the wind chill will still be close to zero at times.
The arctic blast is forecast to continue for the next 24 hours.
The wind chill is expected to be in the teens and single digits along the I-95 corridor on Wednesday morning, before temperatures rebound to near 40 and 50 degrees on Thursday from Boston to Washington, D.C.
(NEW YORK) — As the COVID-19 pandemic has swept the globe, more than 5.4 million people have died from the disease worldwide, including over 839,000 Americans, according to real-time data compiled by Johns Hopkins University’s Center for Systems Science and Engineering.
About 62.6% of the population in the United States is fully vaccinated against COVID-19, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Here’s how the news is developing. All times Eastern:
Jan 11, 7:58 am
Mexico’s president reveals he has COVID-19 for 2nd time
Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador has been reinfected with COVID-19.
Lopez Obrador, 68, who is fully vaccinated against COVID-19 and received a booster shot in December, revealed Monday evening that he has tested positive for the virus a second time.
“Although the symptoms are mild, I will remain in isolation and will only do office work and communicate virtually until I get through it,” the president wrote on Twitter. “In the meantime, the interior secretary, Adan Augusto Lopez Hernandez, will take over for me at press conferences and other events.”
The announcement came after two of the president’s cabinet secretaries announced that they had tested positive for COVID-19 in recent days. Lopez Obrador attended a press conference earlier Monday without wearing a face mask.
The president, who has been accused of downplaying the highly contagious omicron variant as “a little COVID,” contracted the virus for the first time and recovered in early 2021.
Jan 11, 7:00 am
Red Cross declares ‘dire’ blood shortage as omicron surges
The American Red Cross said on Tuesday it’s facing its worst blood shortage in over a decade.
“While some types of medical care can wait, others can’t,” said Dr. Pampee Young, chief medical officer of the Red Cross, in a statement. “Hospitals are still seeing accident victims, cancer patients, those with blood disorders like sickle cell disease, and individuals who are seriously ill who all need blood transfusions to live even as Omicron cases surge across the country.”
The Red Cross, which supplies about 40% of the nation’s blood, said it saw donor numbers fall as the delta variant of COVID-19 spread in August. The number of blood donors has fallen by about 10% since the beginning of the pandemic. That trend continued as omicron spread, the organization said.
“We’re doing everything we can to increase blood donations to ensure every patient can receive medical treatments without delay, but we cannot do it without more donors,” Young said. “We need the help of the American people.”
Jan 11, 6:27 am
Omicron to infect over 50% of Europe’s population within weeks, WHO warns
The highly contagious omicron variant is expected to infect more than half of Europe’s population within the next two months, the World Health Organization’s top official in the region warned Tuesday.
Over 7 million newly confirmed COVID-19 cases were reported across Europe in the first week of 2022, more than doubling over a two-week period. So far, 50 countries in the region have detected omicron infections, according to Dr. Hans Kluge, the WHO’s regional director for Europe.
Kluge said omicron, which was first identified in southern Africa in November, “represents a new west-to-east tidal wave” and is “quickly becoming the dominant [variant] in western Europe and is now spreading in the Balkans.”
“As of Jan. 10, 26 countries report that over 1% of their population is catching COVID-19 each week,” Kluge told reporters during a press conference Tuesday. “At this rate, the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation forecasts that more than 50% of the population in the region will be infected in the next six to eight weeks.”
Jan 11, 4:40 am
Over 65,000 Los Angeles public school staff and students test positive for COVID-19
More than 65,000 public school staff and students in Los Angeles have tested positive for COVID-19 as the nation’s second-largest school district returns to classrooms on Tuesday.
The Los Angeles Unified School District is requiring all employees and students to get tested for COVID-19 before returning for the Spring semester. Staff headed back to campuses on Monday, while the first day of classes for students was pushed back to Tuesday.
As of Monday evening, 424,230 employees and students have been tested and 65,630 were positive for the virus. The student positivity rate stands at 16.6% and the employee positivity rate stands at 14.9%, according to data released by the Los Angeles Unified School District.
“Our positivity rate remains lower than the overall county positivity rate as a result of our heightened safety measures and the continued partnership of families and employees,” the school district said in a statement Monday evening.
Since the start of the pandemic, Los Angeles County has reported a total of more than 2 million cases of COVID-19, with a positivity rate of 21.4%, according to data released Monday evening by the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health.
Jan 11, 2:49 am
Pentagon spends $442.1 million on Pfizer antiviral pills
The U.S. Department of Defense announced a $442.1-million contract with Pfizer to produce 835,000 doses of Paxlovid, the first oral antiviral authorized to treat Covid-19.
Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla said on Monday he expected distribution of the pill to rise “exponentially” in the coming months, with 6 million courses available by March.
The Pentagon’s announcement came less than a week after the White House announced it would double its purchase of Paxlovid from 10 million to 20 million treatment courses, with 10 million treatment courses ready by June.
The estimated completion for the Pentagon’s contract was set for the end of March, officials said on Monday.
(NEW YORK) — As the COVID-19 pandemic has swept the globe, more than 5.4 million people have died from the disease worldwide, including over 839,000 Americans, according to real-time data compiled by Johns Hopkins University’s Center for Systems Science and Engineering.
About 62.6% of the population in the United States is fully vaccinated against COVID-19, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Here’s how the news is developing. All times Eastern:
Jan 11, 9:50 am
Florida sees over 126,000 cases in 1 weekend
Florida reported 126,704 new COVID-19 cases this weekend, ABC Miami affiliate WPLG reported, citing CDC data.
Orlando opened a new testing site Monday at Camping World Stadium.
Jan 11, 9:20 am
United cuts flights, 3,000 employees out with COVID-19
About 3,000 United Airlines workers currently have COVID-19, though none are in the hospital, the airline said.
On one recent day, one-third of all United Airlines employees at Newark Airport called in sick, the airline said.
United CEO Scott Kirby said the airline is cutting its near-term flight schedule to ensure they have enough staffing.
Kirby added that, prior to the vaccine requirement, United had one employee die each week from COVID-19.
-ABC News’ Sam Sweeney
Jan 11, 8:35 am
3 cities, 20 million people under lockdown in China
Some 20 million people across three Chinese cities are now under lockdown due to COVID-19 outbreaks.
Anyang, home to 5.5 million people, was the latest city to lock down its residents after discovering two cases of the fast-spreading omicron variant. Another 13 million people are under lock down in Xi’ian and 1.1 million in Yuzhou, with both cities still battling the highly contagious delta variant. Neither has reported any cases of omicron.
Meanwhile, restrictions have been imposed in the port city of Tianjin, about 80 miles southeast of Beijing, which is to host the 2022 Winter Olympics next month. The city’s 14 million people are being tested for COVID-19 after two locally transmitted cases of omicron were detected over the weekend — the first for mainland China.
-ABC News’ Karson Yiu
Jan 11, 7:58 am
Mexico’s president reveals he has COVID-19 for 2nd time
Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador has been reinfected with COVID-19.
Lopez Obrador, 68, who is fully vaccinated against COVID-19 and received a booster shot in December, revealed Monday evening that he has tested positive for the virus a second time.
“Although the symptoms are mild, I will remain in isolation and will only do office work and communicate virtually until I get through it,” the president wrote on Twitter. “In the meantime, the interior secretary, Adan Augusto Lopez Hernandez, will take over for me at press conferences and other events.”
The announcement came after two of the president’s cabinet secretaries announced that they had tested positive for COVID-19 in recent days. Lopez Obrador attended a press conference earlier Monday without wearing a face mask.
The president, who has been accused of downplaying the highly contagious omicron variant as “a little COVID,” contracted the virus for the first time and recovered in early 2021.
Jan 11, 7:00 am
Red Cross declares ‘dire’ blood shortage as omicron surges
The American Red Cross said on Tuesday it’s facing its worst blood shortage in over a decade.
“While some types of medical care can wait, others can’t,” said Dr. Pampee Young, chief medical officer of the Red Cross, in a statement. “Hospitals are still seeing accident victims, cancer patients, those with blood disorders like sickle cell disease, and individuals who are seriously ill who all need blood transfusions to live even as Omicron cases surge across the country.”
The Red Cross, which supplies about 40% of the nation’s blood, said it saw donor numbers fall as the delta variant of COVID-19 spread in August. The number of blood donors has fallen by about 10% since the beginning of the pandemic. That trend continued as omicron spread, the organization said.
“We’re doing everything we can to increase blood donations to ensure every patient can receive medical treatments without delay, but we cannot do it without more donors,” Young said. “We need the help of the American people.”
Jan 11, 6:27 am
Omicron to infect over 50% of Europe’s population within weeks, WHO warns
The highly contagious omicron variant is expected to infect more than half of Europe’s population within the next two months, the World Health Organization’s top official in the region warned Tuesday.
Over 7 million newly confirmed COVID-19 cases were reported across Europe in the first week of 2022, more than doubling over a two-week period. So far, 50 countries in the region have detected omicron infections, according to Dr. Hans Kluge, the WHO’s regional director for Europe.
Kluge said omicron, which was first identified in southern Africa in November, “represents a new west-to-east tidal wave” and is “quickly becoming the dominant [variant] in western Europe and is now spreading in the Balkans.”
“As of Jan. 10, 26 countries report that over 1% of their population is catching COVID-19 each week,” Kluge told reporters during a press conference Tuesday. “At this rate, the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation forecasts that more than 50% of the population in the region will be infected in the next six to eight weeks.”
Jan 11, 4:40 am
Over 65,000 Los Angeles public school staff and students test positive for COVID-19
More than 65,000 public school staff and students in Los Angeles have tested positive for COVID-19 as the nation’s second-largest school district returns to classrooms on Tuesday.
The Los Angeles Unified School District is requiring all employees and students to get tested for COVID-19 before returning for the Spring semester. Staff headed back to campuses on Monday, while the first day of classes for students was pushed back to Tuesday.
As of Monday evening, 424,230 employees and students have been tested and 65,630 were positive for the virus. The student positivity rate stands at 16.6% and the employee positivity rate stands at 14.9%, according to data released by the Los Angeles Unified School District.
“Our positivity rate remains lower than the overall county positivity rate as a result of our heightened safety measures and the continued partnership of families and employees,” the school district said in a statement Monday evening.
Since the start of the pandemic, Los Angeles County has reported a total of more than 2 million cases of COVID-19, with a positivity rate of 21.4%, according to data released Monday evening by the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health.
Jan 11, 2:49 am
Pentagon spends $442.1 million on Pfizer antiviral pills
The U.S. Department of Defense announced a $442.1-million contract with Pfizer to produce 835,000 doses of Paxlovid, the first oral antiviral authorized to treat Covid-19.
Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla said on Monday he expected distribution of the pill to rise “exponentially” in the coming months, with 6 million courses available by March.
The Pentagon’s announcement came less than a week after the White House announced it would double its purchase of Paxlovid from 10 million to 20 million treatment courses, with 10 million treatment courses ready by June.
The estimated completion for the Pentagon’s contract was set for the end of March, officials said on Monday.
Brittany Murray/MediaNews Group/Long Beach Press-Telegram via Getty Images
(LOS ANGELES) — A funeral service was held on Monday for a 14-year-old girl who was killed during a Los Angeles police-involved shooting at a clothing store.
Valentina Orellana-Peralta was Christmas shopping with her mother at a North Hollywood Burlington Coat Factory store on Dec. 23, 2021, when police responded to multiple 911 calls reporting a suspect who was allegedly assaulting customers.
The 911 dispatch audio, surveillance video and body camera footage released by the LAPD show the graphic video of 24-year-old suspect, Daniel Elena Lopez, attacking female shoppers inside the store. Video evidence showed one woman being beaten while other customers were seen evacuating. Upon arrival, police opened fire on Lopez and he was later pronounced dead at the scene.
According to a video statement released by the LAPD, it is believed Orellana-Peralta was struck by a stray bullet, which skipped off the floor and entered though the wall of the dressing room she was in.
“We at the LAPD would like to express our most heartfelt condolences and profound regret for the loss of this innocent victim, Valentina Oriana Peralta. there are no words that can describe the depth of the sorrow we feel for this tragic outcome,” Stacy Spell, commanding officer of the Media Relations Division of the LAPD, said in a video statement.
At the funeral, mourners gather to honor Orellana-Peralta’s life. The young teen came to the United States with her mother just six months before her death. Her parents told reporters she had dreams of becoming an American citizen and a robotics engineer.
“We pray for peace and justice for this innocent blood spilled,” said Benjamin Crump, who is the attorney representing the slain 14-year-old girl’s family.
Al Sharpton delivered the eulogy at the funeral service, calling out the LAPD’s long history of injustice against people of color.
“Thirty-one years ago, I came to Los Angeles because the LAPD beat a man on the highway. His name was Rodney King,” said Sharpton. “And here we are again. How long will it take for you to get it right,” Sharpton said, calling for police reform and demanding a full investigation of the fatal shooting incident.
The LAPD and the California Department of Justice are conducting their own separate investigations into the shooting incident.
The officer who open fire has been placed on administrative leave until the police department reaches a conclusion in its investigation.
(NEW YORK) — An open door to an apartment unit where a space heater caught fire allowed the smoke to spread throughout all floors of a 19-story building in New York City on Sunday, Mayor Eric Adams told ABC News.
At least 17 people, including eight children, have died from the incident. More than 60 others were injured, according to the New York City Fire Department.
The city passed a law in 2018 mandating self-closing doors in all apartment buildings. It’s unclear whether those were installed at 333 East 181st St., located in the Tremont section of the Bronx. The high-rise was built as affordable housing in 1972 and has 120 units, according to city records.
“It appears the ability to have the smoke spread is due to the door being open,” Adams told ABC News in an interview Monday on Good Morning America. “There may have been a maintenance issue with this door and that is going to be part of the ongoing investigation.”
So far, investigators believe the building met all other standards for fire safety. There were a couple violations documented over the last few years but no outstanding issues, according to the mayor.
“This is all going to come out during the investigation,” he added. “This is really early in the investigation.”
The flames ignited Sunday morning before 11 a.m. ET, due to a malfunctioning electric space heater in a bedroom of a duplex apartment on the third floor. In less than three hours, smoke enveloped all 19 floors. The building’s smoke alarms were operable at the time of the blaze, according to the New York City Fire Department.
More than 200 firefighters rushed to the scene of the five-alarm fire, smashing windows to rescue trapped residents. The mayor described the incident as “horrific” but praised the firefighters as heroes.
“Many of them, of their oxygen tanks were on empty,” Adams told ABC News. “But instead of turning back and exiting the building, they pushed through, through the smoke.”
Many of the injured were located on the upper floors and likely suffered from severe smoke inhalation. Approximately 13 people are in Bronx hospitals with life-threatening injuries, according to the New York City Fire Department.
The New York City Fire Department previously reported that 19 people, including nine children, had died from the blaze, but the death toll was revised Monday due to a miscount.
All residents in need of a place to stay have been provided temporary shelter. They will later be moved into permanent housing as the building undergoes repairs, according to Adams.
“One thing about New York City, unfortunately, is that we are capable of dealing with crises,” he said. “We’ve dealt with so many of large proportion and we immediately kick in gear our coordinated efforts.”
The ongoing investigation into the deadly inferno is being led by the New York City Fire Department’s marshals.
The Bronx Park Phase III Preservation LLC, the name of the joint venture that owns the building, said in a statement Sunday that it was “devastated” over the tragedy.
“We are devastated by the unimaginable loss of life caused by this profound tragedy,” the statement read. “We are cooperating fully with the Fire Department and other city agencies as they investigate its cause, and we are doing all we can to assist our residents. Our thoughts are with the families and friends of those who lost their lives or were injured, and we are here to support them as we recover from this horrific fire.”
Sunday’s blaze was the deadliest to occur in New York City in three decades. A total of 73 people died in fires citywide in all of 2021.
ABC News’ Joshua Hoyos, Julia Jacobo, Aaron Katersky and Ileana Riveros contributed to this report.
(NEW YORK) — As the COVID-19 pandemic has swept the globe, more than 5.4 million people have died from the disease worldwide, including over 838,000 Americans, according to real-time data compiled by Johns Hopkins University’s Center for Systems Science and Engineering.
About 62.6% of the population in the United States is fully vaccinated against COVID-19, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Latest headlines:
-ICU, ventilator patients on the rise in New Jersey
-US hospitalizations reach record high
-Some immune-compromised Americans eligible for 4th dose this week
Here’s how the news is developing. All times Eastern.
Jan 10, 5:48 pm
Record-breaking 580,000 new pediatric COVID-19 cases reported in US
Amidst the nation’s most significant COVID-19 infection surge yet, new data released on Monday shows that more than half a million children tested positive for COVID-19, last week, according to a weekly report from the American Academy of Pediatrics and the Children’s Hospital Association.
Last week alone, 580,000 children tested positive for COVID-19, marking a nearly three times more than two weeks prior, according to the organizations.
A total of 8.47 million children have tested positive for the virus since the onset of the pandemic, and nearly 11% of these children have tested positive in the past two weeks alone.
Children accounted for about 17.3% of the reported weekly COVID-19 cases last week, down again from previous weeks, when children accounted for more than a quarter of all new cases. For context, children under 18 make up 22.2% of the U.S. population.
Still, recent COVID-19 data could be skewed due to erratic and volatile reporting following the holidays. An artificial increase in the numbers could have resulted as more Americans get tested.
ABC News’ Arielle Mitropoulos
Jan 10, 4:44 pm
Harris County raises COVID threat level
In Harris County, Texas, which encompasses Houston, Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo has raised the COVID-19 threat level to “red” — the highest level — due to an uptick in hospitalizations.
COVID-19 patients occupy 18% of all ICU beds in the county.
ABC News’ Matt Fuhrman
Jan 10, 4:29 pm
8 at-home tests per month soon covered by insurance
The Biden administration is moving forward on a rule to make at-home rapid tests reimbursable for insured Americans.
Beginning Jan. 15, Americans will get up to eight tests covered per month, as well as an unlimited number of tests covered if ordered or administered by a doctor or nurse.
“Insurance companies and health plans are required to cover 8 free over-the-counter at-home tests per covered individual per month. That means a family of four, all on the same plan, would be able to get up to 32 of these tests covered by their health plan per month. There is no limit on the number of tests, including at-home tests that are covered if ordered or administered by a health care provider following an individualized clinical assessment, including for those who may need them due to underlying medical conditions,” the Department of Health and Human Services said in a press release.
ABC News’ Cheyenne Haslett
Jan 10, 3:54 pm
Republicans vow to block DC’s vaccine mandate
In Washington, D.C., a vaccine mandate for restaurants, nightclubs, bars and indoor venues is set to begin on Jan. 15.
But 19 House Republicans sent a letter to Mayor Muriel Bowser on Monday saying that the mandate “will not prevent the virus from spreading.”
“This sweeping mandate, however, will harm the District’s economic recovery and lock many Americans out of their capital city,” the Republicans wrote, adding, “We urge you to withdraw the Order.”
The city is seeing some improvement in COVID-19 case numbers, D.C. Health’s senior deputy director, Patrick Ashley, told reporters on Monday.
“We’re very hopeful based on that data that we are getting to a better spot,” Ashley said. “It’s still certainly high. It’s still an area for concern and we don’t expect that to go down overnight.”
(NEW YORK) — The deadly blaze that tore through a New York City building in the Tremont neighborhood of the Bronx has left many residents homeless, displaced or in need of basic necessities that they lost in the tragedy.
The fire killed at least 17 people, including eight children, and injured more than 60 others, according to the New York City Fire Department.
The community has quickly gotten to work to address the demand of those in need by raising money and stockpiling donations for the cause.
Here are some ways to support the efforts:
Bronx Fire Relief Drive
Local elected leaders are collecting donations for impacted families.
According to Mark Levine, a New York City council member, the prioritized items are gift cards, new and unworn clothing and outerwear, diapers, baby items, packaged foods, bottled water, hygiene products and toiletries.
Donations can be brought to any of these locations in the Bronx:
-Monroe College Ustin Hall at 2375 Jerome Avenue. Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
-State Sen. Gustavo Rivera’s office at 2432 Grand Concourse, Suite 506. Monday through Thursday, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.
-Assembly member Yudelka Tapia’s office at 2175C Jerome Avenue. Monday and Wednesday, 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesday, Thursday and Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
-Council member Oswald Feliz’s office 573 East Fordham Road. Monday through Thursday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
The Mayor’s Fund to Advance New York City
Mayor Eric Adams and the City of New York are raising money for those affected by the tragedy on the NYC government website.
“Your cash donation will enable the distribution of emergency relief supplies and provide support for the victims and their families,” the website states. “Your entire donation will go towards helping those impacted by the fire.”
Community organizers hold Bronx Fire Victims Drive
Necessities are also being collected by community leaders at the Bronx office of the NYC Department of Education.
The Bronx Community Foundation
The Bronx Community Foundation, a local philanthropic operation that focuses on economic and social justice community building in the borough, said it is joining efforts to serve those impacted and is accepting donations.
“Our thoughts and prayers are with our neighbors, families and friends impacted by today’s devastating fire in the Bronx,” the organization shared in a tweet. “As the needs of residents are shared with The Bronx Community Foundation, we will support wherever we can.”
(NEW YORK) — Robert Durst, a convicted murder who was awaiting trial on a separate murder charge, died of natural causes while in custody early Monday morning, his lawyer said.
Durst, 78, was sentenced to life in prison in October 2021 for the first-degree murder of his friend, Susan Berman, who was shot and killed in 2000 in her Los Angeles home.
Days after his sentencing, Durst was charged with the murder of his wife, Kathie Durst, who disappeared near their Westchester County, New York, home in 1982. Her body was never found.
Prosecutors allege Durst killed Susan Berman in 2000 because he feared his close friend would reveal details of Kathie Durst’s death.
The Westchester County District Attorney’s office said it plans to hold a news conference on the Kathie Durst case “in the coming days.”
“After 40 years spent seeking justice for her death, I know how upsetting this news must be for Kathleen Durst’s family,” Westchester County District Attorney Miriam Rocah said in a statement. “We had hoped to allow them the opportunity to see Mr. Durst finally face charges for Kathleen’s murder.”
Robert Abrams, an attorney for Kathie Durst’s family, said Monday that he’ll provide an update on Jan. 31, 2022 — the 40th anniversary of Kathie Durst’s disappearance.
Durst was also charged in the 2001 killing of his neighbor, Morris Black, in Galveston, Texas. Durst’s lawyers argued the real estate heir shot Black in self-defense and then dismembered Black’s body. Durst was acquitted.
Durst died of natural causes at 6:44 a.m. local time at an outside hospital, the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation said.
Durst’s lawyer, Chip Lewis, said in a statement Monday, “We understand that his death was due to natural causes associated with the litany of medical issues we had repeatedly reported to the court over the last couple of years.”
Durst was hospitalized in October 2021 with COVID-19. Durst’s attorney, Dick DeGuerin, said at the time that the real estate heir was on a ventilator.
In August 2021, during testimony in the Susan Berman trial, Durst detailed his health ailments, including esophageal and bladder cancers, chronic kidney disease and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, or COPD. He spoke with a raspy, weak voice, impacted by surgery for his esophageal cancer and COPD.
Robert Durst was the eldest son of wealthy New York City real estate investor and developer Seymour Durst. Robert Durst was long estranged from his family and his brother, Douglas Durst, is currently the chairman of the Durst Organization.
ABC News’ Aaron Katersky and Meredith Deliso contributed to this report.
(NEW YORK) — The coldest air of the season is moving into the Northeast on Monday night, sending temperatures plummeting by Tuesday morning.
The wind chill — what temperature it feels like — is forecast to plunge Tuesday morning to minus 5 degrees in New York, minus 14 degrees in Boston and minus 24 degrees in Burlington, Vermont.
In Boston, where the wind chill is expected to stay below zero all day long, public schools will be closed Tuesday.
By 4 p.m. ET on Tuesday, the wind chill will only inch up to minus 3 degrees in Boston, 6 degrees in New York and 9 degrees in Philadelphia.
The Midwest and the South will also be feeling the freeze Tuesday morning. The wind chill is forecast to fall to minus 5 degrees in Chicago, minus 2 degrees in Detroit, minus 15 degrees in Green Bay, Wisconsin, 20 degrees in Nashville and 27 degrees in Atlanta.
But the brutal cold won’t last long — temperatures are expected to rebound by Wednesday.
(NEW YORK) — Seventeen people, including eight children, after dozens were injured in a fire at a Bronx apartment in New York City.
Officials previously reported that 19 people — including nine children — had died in the fire, but the death toll was revised Monday. The victims were taken to seven different hospitals, which led to the miscount, New York City Fire Department Commissioner Daniel Nigro said Monday.
More than 200 firefighters responded to the scene of the five-alarm fire that originated Sunday morning in a duplex apartment on the third floor of a high-rise building, located in the Tremont section of the Bronx, officials said. More than 60 people were injured in the fire, according to the New York City Fire Department.
Many of the victims were located on the upper floors and likely suffered from severe smoke inhalation, Nigro said during a press conference Sunday afternoon.
Firefighters arrived on the scene within three minutes of the initial 911 call and were met with fire in the hallways, Nigro said. A door that was left open allowed the fire and smoke to spread, Nigro added, describing the fire as “unprecedented.”
The fire never left the hallway on the floor where it originated, he said.
The 19-story building was built in 1972 and has 120 units, according to city records.
The fire began due to a malfunctioning electric space heater in a bedroom, the FDNY said Sunday evening. Smoke alarms were operable, and it remains under investigation how the smoke traveled so far so quickly.
Guillermo Sanchez, a resident who lives on the 16th floor, was making breakfast when he began to smell smoke, he told ABC News.
“My son went to the door,” he said. “We opened the door. Smoke comes in immediately, so we closed the door.”
The smoke was so intense, Sanchez said he assumed it was from another apartment on the same floor.
Sanchez, emotional from the ordeal, said he and his son called 911 but felt they could not safely take the stairs to exit the building, he said, adding that they were calling family members to tell them they may not make it.
The firefighter who initially knocked on his door said everything was under control, but another firefighter who came a half an hour later said, “You have to come with us,” Sanchez said.
“This is going to be one of the worst fires we have witnessed here in modern times in the city of New York,” New York City Mayor Eric Adams told reporters Sunday.
Adams praised the first responders, saying many of the firefighters’ oxygen tanks eventually became empty but “they still went through the smoke.”
Dramatic pictures posted to social media show fire gushing out of multiple windows in the building. FDNY began receiving calls from multiple residents on upper floors just before 11 a.m.
Additional details, including the conditions of the other victims, were not immediately available.
The residents consisted of a largely Muslim and Gambian population and will be aided by the city with particular consideration to cultural needs, Adams told ABC News.
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul appeared at the news conference, saying that she spoke with a mother who lost her entire family in the fire, telling the victims, “We will not forget you. We will not abandon you.”
The Bronx Park Phase III Preservation LLC, the name of the joint venture that owns building at 333 E 181st St., said in a statement that it was “devastated” over the tragedy that occurred.
“We are devastated by the unimaginable loss of life caused by this profound tragedy,” the statement read. “We are cooperating fully with the Fire Department and other city agencies as they investigate its cause, and we are doing all we can to assist our residents. Our thoughts are with the families and friends of those who lost their lives or were injured, and we are here to support them as we recover from this horrific fire.”
A total of 73 people died in New York City fires in all of 2021.
This was the second major fire in the Bronx over the weekend. A four-alarm fire in the Fordham Heights section of the Bronx that began early Saturday morning injured a firefighter and displaced three families, ABC New York station WABC reported. A lithium-ion battery sparked the fire, officials said.
Last week, a fire that broke out on the second story of a row house in Philadelphia killed 13 people, including seven children.
